The Sky is so Deep

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Today I found a field, not far from where my day job is, that reminded me what a wonder it is to just stand and BE.

I say stand, because that’s exactly what I did- I stood, for almost an hour, doing nothing, just being. Interesting how it turned out that way. I had wanted to find a nice bench in the sunshine to sit, eat, and read my book. (Linwood Barclay, if you’re wondering. Amazing writer.) But the bench was in the shade, and it was covered with water and mud. Like a cat, I saw a sunny patch of grass and stubbornly decided to stand in it, despite not being able to read. which was the best decision ever.

The view was less breathtaking as it was breath-giving. Finally, here behind a busy street in north London, was a patch of scenery that reminded me that this country was indeed England.

The near yet distant hills were tuffetted in soft, lilac hued ochre brush- the appearance being uncannily inviting, despite the knowledge that this illusion was just the empty, hard and cold twigs of bare winter trees.

The air was quiet here. and the animals were wild. There may have been only blue tits, squirrels, magpies, the odd seagull, and two foxes, but somehow they were wilder than they seemed in the streets. The foxes especially were amazing. They got quite close. I wondered if this was dangerous… they just stood there, staring at me. Would they attack? I know foxes can be dangerous but I reckoned they wouldn’t attack randomly… but what if I was unwittingly standing near a den full of cubs? I wonder what I’d do if a fox ran at me, teeth bared, baying for blood making whatever noise an angry fox makes. How would I defend myself?

It’s an interesting question for a vegan. I’d feel no qualms about beating off an attacking human. I’m always going over Xena-esque manoeuvres I could try if ever I was cornered in an alley by a dangerous man… but what if it were an animal doing the cornering? And there was nowhere to run- or no point to. I’d have to defend myself, obviously. But I wouldn’t want to hurt the animal. I wouldn’t care that much about hurting the human, to be honest.

..

Thankfully the fox was just curious, and baffled by my presence in this hidden field. I hoped I hadn’t ruined it for them, with my human scent or something. Still, it was a lovey experience. It felt real, unlike anything else in our manmade world. Back on the street, having dragged myself away back to the day job, I felt as if I had traveled to another world. The real world. In that frosty field, with its sun rays, tundra hills, soft light, and deep blue skies, I had glimpsed the truth in the earth. Back in the built environment, humans have done everything to distract themselves from it. Nothing we have made is real, except art.

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